Handcuffed Together, For Now and Forever
by Exile Wrath
Summary: As a young man, Makishima Shogo gave up on women and love in general. People were mindless and believed too much in the Sybil System. He had no feelings for them. Yet, one day he meets a person who changes his mind. A high school girl that worked at a cafe and whose answers to his questions caught his interest. Her name is Tsunemori Akane, and he has chosen her to be his. ShoAka


**Exile: Herro! I personally never thought that my first Psycho-Pass fanfiction would be for this pairing, but... my shippers heart is on that ship and there's no getting it back. **

**Pairings: Shogo x Akane. If you don't like the pairing, please backspace and don't flame me. If you're neutral about it, please read! You may end up changing your mind. /shot. Contains tidbits of ShinAka**

**I don't own Psycho-Pass. Sadly enough.**

**The first four sections of the fic take place when Akane is approximately 16 and Makishima is 21. **

**Present ages are 20 and 27 respectively. Kogami's is 28.**

* * *

****Captured

Makishima Shogo had always seen things like love as useless, unneeded, and a folly, especially in this society ruled by the Sybil System. Women he talked to were mindless and thought of nothing of real matter or value. And Makishima knew that he was definitely not romantically interested in men. In short, he had already given up on finding a life partner.

Besides, he reflected, it's not like there was anyone else like him out there, someone with a Psycho-Pass of a constant white. Someone that could possibly be like him.

That changed, he realized, when he met her.

Shogo often frequented a quaint little cafe in the suburbs, a shop which was based off of incredibly old designs as to structure and appearance. It didn't use any Holo, and everything was cooked by hand, not the by-product of shaped, colored, and flavored nutritional paste. Personally, he first started going there for the sake of the coffee.

"Welcome back, Makishima-san. Your usual order?" the the young woman manning the cash register asked. In this cafe, the owner was too poor, and was a rather elderly person that used the outdated machines for the sake of familiarity. This was probably the only shop in the entire city that used an old-fashioned cash register that had to be worked manually and printed actual paper receipts.

The white-haired man nodded, adopting his usual expression solely for this shop. "Yes, Tsu-san," he replied, shortening the name that was written on a tag pinned to her shirtfront. She punched in some buttons and he slid his money across the counter. Counting the bills to make sure they added up right, the brunet gave him his receipt and he went to take his table.

The name of this hole-in-the-wall cafe was Black Order, scripted in shaped neon fluorescent tubes on the storefront. It sold coffees and old-fashioned, genuinely hand-baked pastries made with actual ingredients.

This place was like a refuge, he reflected as he idly waited for his order to arrive. It was so _honest _and old-fashioned, styled after a now-dead society of people that actually did have the choice of free will, a people that did not depend on Sybil for their decisions. It was a hole in the network of the electronic society outside. If he ever actually did meet someone he deemed worthy of something like romantic affection, then he would bring them here, show them this haven.

"Here you go, Makishima-san," the waitress's voice cut through his thoughts as she set down a tray with a cup of hot black hazelnut coffee and a small dish of assorted sweets that were rare to come by these days - takiyaki, mitarashi dango, and a mocha-flavored piece of cheesecake.

"Thank you..." he glanced at the name tag, "Tsunemori-san." Before he could pick up his fork and begin eating, however, the waitress curiously asked,

"Why do you always order the Randomization Dish?" was the question, referring to the plate of assorted sweets. "What if you get something that you find doesn't appeal to your taste? If you simply order a consistent set of sweets then you would not have to eat the cinnamon-spiced sweets that Chef is so fond of making."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her in the eye. "Because think about it. Life never will give us the consistent set that we want. Instead it throws random, unexpected things at us, Sybil System or not." He was expecting her to go away with an answer, but instead she nodded, as if in understanding.

"I see... you are the type of person that tries to reflect their thoughts about life in the way they live, huh? I do agree with how you say that even with the Sybil System, we have really only a bare bit of control with the events tossed at us by life..." with that parting comment, she went back to work.

Makishima's smile froze as he processed what the employee had said. _How interesting_, he thought.

* * *

"Welcome back, Makishima-san," he was greeted at the cash register the next day he stopped by the Black Order. "Randomization Dish and black hazelnut coffee, right?" Tsunemori-san asked, her finger poised over the cash register.

"Actually, today I think I'll get a cappuccino with two shots of expresso and some cream, please," he corrected. She nodded, humming as she punched in his order. As he waited, Makishima decided to test something. "By the way, what is your perception on the Sybil System?" he inquired casually, leaning against the counter.

She didn't stop in her movements, sliding the receipt across to him and turning around to work on the coffee while another employee took her place at the cash register. Makishima slid over to a corner table near the counter. _Ah well, I hadn't been expecting much of an answer anyway_, he thought regretfully. _Pity_.

A dish was placed in front of him, and a steaming-hot cappuccino right after it. "Umm..." he looked up from the book he had been reading in wait, "I think the Sybil System has some flaws. I mean, like, Owner-san's daughter was diagnosed a latent criminal and taken away from him."

Oh? He snapped the book close and looked at her intently. "Continue, if you may?" he gestured her to go on.

She looked rather nervous, but remained standing. "Well, I knew her, she was a really nice person. But she got stressed a lot and liked to joke around about what she would do to people that angered her. But she was diagnosed, and Owner-san was really sad. Sybil's System just uses, err... a cymatic scan to measure the mental health of a person. But it doesn't account for the person's Will." She flushed red, then bowed, "I hope you have good day, Makishima-san. Please enjoy your order." With that, she fled back behind the counter before one of the other employees could tell her off.

* * *

"Call me Shogo," he said as he walked in the door and to the familiar waitress at the register. Tsunemori-san simply greeted him with a polite bow and a curiously raised eyebrow.

"Eto... why, Makis-" he put up a finger, and she hastily switched, "Why, Shogo-san? And the usual today as well?"

The twenty-one-year-old smirked a tiny bit. For the past few weeks, he had been dropping by the cafe more often, mostly during Tsunemori-san's shift, and her answers to his questions were quite... agreeable, he deemed them. They reflected a sort of depth of a person that tried to think on their own rather than by the will of the System.

"I'm simply in a good mood today," he answered lightly, "And besides, you must admit that my last name is a bit of a mouthful to say. You may call me by my first name, no honorifics."

She went red a bit. "Um, can I call you Shogo-san?" Tsunemori asked hopefully.

"Nope."

"Shogo-kun?" she paled at that one. "No, that makes you seem like you're the same age as I."

"As amusing as that one is, nope. My name is Shogo, and I insist that you call me that," he said languidly.

She bit her lip. "Okay... Shogo," she finally managed to say.

He smiled. "See, now was that so hard to say?" he inquired. "Now, I'd like the usual, please, Tsunemori-chan."

He was having fun making this interesting person go red-faced, he realized. How amusing that he find someone that fit all his requirements for a partner in his haven.

* * *

The next day, there was a notice that due to relation to a latent criminal, the owner of Black Order was under investigation and his business was being seized by the MWPSB.

Makishima's face darkened as he realized that bow he would be unable to find his dear "Tsunemori-chan" unless he used his connections, and he did not want to risk that one of his toys would use her against him.

She was so interesting, so free-willed, so honest. And he had found it that she, too, had always had a Psycho-Pass like him, no matter what she was exposed to.

He would find her again, and then he would take her with him.

* * *

When he saw her again, he didn't realize it was her until she was there, standing below him with a choice to shoot to save her friend's life or to rely on the Dominator and try to shoot him with that useless heap of scrap metal.

He had nearly stopped in his actions. nearly stopped the test he had planned for the Inspector that had chased him down. But instead he forced down thoughts of halting, of those softer emotions. _Does she recognize me?_ he wondered. The look in her eyes denied it.

Makishima was disappointed. The one that he had thought to be his partner failed the ultimate trial of free will. Looking at her wide-eyed, glassy eyes as she stared at her friend's body, something clicked in his mind. _Becoming an Inspector, going through the MWPSB's training... it tainted that source of free will she had. They schooled her into relying on the Sybil's System's faulty judgement. _With that in mind, he continued walking.

A little less than an hour later, he had gone out of the underground arena area Senguji had made and for some reason, his feet led him to the place that the MWPSB had organized the ambulances and the police cars surrounding the entrance. There was a group of people examining Senguji's scrap metal remains, another few surrounding an Inspector, and then there were two people, off to the side. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly at the two. It was a man he recognized as his new prey, Kogami Shinya, lying on a cot and his hands touching a familiar brunette's shoulders, as if in _comfort_. Tsunemori-chan was in a wheelchair, probably because she had collapsed due to shock, and her head was on his chest.

Something in his blood awoke. _How could he act so close to her? How dare he? She is mine, my rightful partner I have looked for and known._ The thoughts ran through Makishima's mind like fire on a kerosene-soaked rope. _He is an Enforcer. He is part of the MWPSB. So he is one of those fools that help the System brainwash her into losing her free will. _

_But if I attempt to eliminate him by direct means, then she will not realize that her partner is I. _he thought in a cold, calculating mindset. Plans were formulated in his brain to give back Tsunemori-chan her will again and correct the flaws the police had placed on her mindset and thought patterns. _His _Tsunemori would have shot him with little hesitation. This Tsunemori was weak and too influenced by the ideals of the system.

But how was he to liberate her and erase those ugly mars the police had done to her psych?

"_The MWPSB have several charges against you for a variety of crimes!"_ Her voice rang from that memory.

His lips tugged into smirk. If they were looking for him, why not do them a favor and hand them the cake?

* * *

Several useless Dominators were aimed at him. He raised his hands to his shoulders, a sign of surrender. "Hello, MWPSB," he drawled, eyes scanning the office room he had walked into. Apparently he had gone straight into the Inspector and Enforcer's training room.

"Makishima," Kogami Shinya growled, stepping in front of his dear Tsunemori-chan, who was looking at him like a frightened cat. "What are you doing here?"

A man with glasses had the Dominator he had been aiming at a training dummy pointed at him, eyes blue as the voice continually informed him that in essence, he was impossible to shoot. Around the room, three other Enforcers had other weapons at him, namely a rare shotgun, a handgun, and a sniper rifle from a lady on the higher ground. "How did you get in here!" Glasses demanded, "Who are you?"

"This man is Makishima Shogo, Ginoza," Kogami snarled. "He is the one that-"

"He killed Yuki. And for some reason, he can not be judged by Sybil," Tsunemori-chan said in a flat voice. It startled everyone in the room, hearing her talk like that. "Why are you here, Makishima? Isn't it enough that you play mind games with us in the shadows? Are you simply here to taunt us with the knowledge that we can not shoot you?" as she said this, Shogo felt a thrill running through himself. So by simply keeping her near him, that free will returned!

He smiled politely, his favorite smile that always irritated his toys. Raising his wrist, he popped up the Hue scanner built in his watch. They looked at him in confusion.

Then all of a sudden, he wasn't in the middle of the room. Arms curled around the female Inspector's neck and he murmured to her ear, "How is it that even though it was only three days ago that you saw your best friend killed, and now you see her killer in front of you now, that your Psycho-Pass stays unclouded and white?" he backstepped as she whirled around in shock, Kogami giving a roar of something along the lines of staying away from her. _As if that would ever happen_, he mentally scoffed.

Tsunemori-chan let out a breath, relaxing, and resolutely asked, "Why are you here, Makishima?"

He simply smirked again. "I'm turning myself in, you see. I simply got dreadfully bored of watching the police attempt to catch me and fail every single time. Besides, your Dominators will never shoot me."

The tall man that had been holding the handgun lowered it, but then rushed him with speed that one did not expect of his build. Handcuffs clinked around his wrists, but Makishima ducked under the hand that had been about to knock him unconscious. "Now, now, don't be too hasty, mister," he called. All of a sudden, Akane felt a head rest on her shoulder. "I'm turning myself in, but not to you or the MWSBP." He held up the pair of handcuffs he had just been clapped with in his hand. "I am fully capable of escaping any prison or limitations you lot attempt to place on me."

"Then get to the goddamned point," Kogami snarled, "and get away from the Inspector."

Shogo didn't reply, merely wrapping his arms around _his _Tsunemori-chan's waist. She was frozen stiff in shock, and was that a twinge of fear? _Not good. She is not supposed to fear me. I should work on acclimatizing her to my presence again. _He thought analytically. "And if I say no?" he replied, resting his head on her shoulder. "It is against the law to shoot a civilian without permission of Sybil, you know," he taunted.

A petite hand grabbed his collar and Makishima felt surprise as he felt himself being thrown into the air, over his partner's shoulder. "Stop with the games, Makishima-san. What do you want here?" she asked calmly.

"I'm turning myself in, I said."

"That is too vague of an answer. What is your real motive? If you were really turning yourself in, you would not have gotten out of Masaoka-san's handcuffs."

Shogo barely suppressed a satisfied smirk. Judging by the expressions on the other officers in the room, the MWPSB had never really seen _his _Tsunemori-chan, the one that could think logically and clearly without outside interference. "Ah, so you see the flaw in my statement."

"It was glaringly obvious the moment you said it, Makishima-san," she replied mildly.

He raised his arms helplessly. "What can I say. There's a catch to everything in this world." Smiling, "I will allow myself to be taken in... granted that someone can catch me."

He sidestepped and dodged a series of thrown punches, kicks, and strikes from Kogami, who was completely focused on bringing him down. This was why this man had been chosen as his new toy. But at the moment, he would secure his dear partner before he continued playing. "You lose. Next person," Makishima yawned.

Before the Enforcer could lunge at him, the one called Ginoza called, "Kogami, stand down. You're letting your emotions get in the day of your actions." Kogami halted, drawing to a relaxed position as he took up a protective stance near Tsunemori-chan.

Before he could continue with his thoughts, the gruff-looking person that had handcuffed him earlier came at him, the childish-looking Enforcer double-teaming with him. They flanked Makishima, go for his wrists with their handcuffs, but the man simply weaved away, dodging and ducking as if it was all a game. There was a sudden clink, and the room froze and Akane closed two metal chains around Makishima's wrist; she had somehow snuck up on him. "Got you."

He laughed, a pick appearing as the chains fell away. "Nice try, Tsunemori-chan," he said sunnily. "As long as I have myself, I can escape."

Another chain flew at him, catching the man again, but this time it only wrapped around his right wrist. "Inspector Tsunemori, what are you doing!?" Glasses yelled in surprise.

In a straightforward manner, "He said that as long as he had himself, he could escape. However, he can't if there is someone dragging him down," she clarified. Turning back to Shogo, she reeled the chain of the handcuffs in, forcing him to walk near her or be dragged. "Off to Analysis you go," she muttered.

A hand was on top of her head, _patting her. _"Pity, Tsunemori-chan. You see, my part of the deal is that I am taken prisoner by whoever _caught me_. If you try to ship me off, I'm going back to where I came from."

"So you see, I will be running off the moment you try to get out of your side of the cuffs."

His partner's eyes went wide, and Shogo had to hold back a chuckle as she realized that she was going to be connected to him twenty-four hours, seven days a week. "What are you up to, you-" Kogami snarled in barely suppressed rage. Here was the man he had been hunting for years, then he waltzes in, gets handcuffed to Tsunemori, and then insists on staying near her! _That damned sociopath._

"Inspector Tsunemori," Ginoza said, eyes looking both helpless and serious. "I'm sorry to say that I am assigning you to guarding the prisoner Makishima Shogo until we can somehow persuade the higher-ups of the danger he is to society," he stated resignedly, lowering his Dominator. "Please, whatever you do, don't let him affect your Psycho-Pass negatively. Please."

Shinya's jaw unclenched. "Oi, Gino. Someone else should be assigned to this... situation as well," he stated. "Someone has to be there to make sure he doesn't do anything to her."

"Fine then. Masaoka, Kogami, Yayoi, Kagari. You lot are going to switch off making sure that Tsunemori is safe. In the meantime, I'm afraid I'll be taking you off field, Inspector. We don't know whether he will attempt to have his connections ambush us during a mission," he ordered, then said apologetically.

Makishima turned to Akane, holding out his free hand for a handshake. "Saa, Tsunemori-chan. I hope we shall get along," he laughed.

None of the MWPSB in the room blamed her when the brunet squatted down on the floor, burying her face in her hands, lamenting the fate she had just resigned her to. She was being handcuffed to the man that had killed her best friend in cold blood!

And thus, when they exited the training room to get back to the office, Akane couldn't help but flinch at the variety of looks coworkers were giving her, Makishima, and the handcuffs binding them.

It didn't help that he was continually calling her "Tsunemori-chan" with the kind of voice she wanted to punch him for. Even though she hated violence, this guy was going to be an exception to that rule.

Kogami was silently fuming, hands itching to wrap themselves around that bastard's neck and kill him. But no, they couldn't kill him because in Sybil's eyes, he was a good citizen and the entire team would be prosecuted by the state. _Whatever he plans to do, I will make sure he fails. Especially if he intends to harm her. _He mentally promised with narrowed eyes.

Masaoka was getting a bad feeling about this mess. Sure, they had finally gotten the rat into custody, but it seemed like they were playing into a puppeteer's hands. The currently unknown ulterior motive that this man had was sending off alarm bells in his head. The Enforcer vowed to keep a look out. Whatever his motive was, the little miss was a big part of it, and that had no good foreboding.

Kagari was ill at ease, though his cheerful demeanor didn't show it. This guy was behaving with Akane-chan like he knew her very well, and it didn't help with the way he was addressing her. Even Yayoi was tense, hiding it well, but her higher-than-usual ponytail meant that she was on guard and was prepared for close combat if anything threatened all of them.

Behind his glasses, Ginoza's eyes were narrowed suspiciously at the prisoner and Inspector Tsunemori. For what reason was the prisoner acting so familiarly with her? However, he was contented with the fact that she looked like she was adapting with the situation. He would speak to the higher ups and the Sybil's Scientists about the glitch in the System as soon as he could file the report. The whole thing smelled no good.

Acting oblivious to the expressions to the MWPSB behind him, Makishima hummed a bit as he walked next to his partner, his chosen that was like him in so many aspects. He was going to liberate her free will from this ugly, flawed System, no matter how long it took. He still had his operatives to cause havoc in his absence, after all. And his Tsu-chan was his, whether she knew it or not. When he freed her, she would be with him and he would keep her by his side. After Sybil's influence left her, he was never going to let her be tainted again.

Everything was falling into place. Pity that his postponed prey had feelings for Tsunemori-chan, though. Kogami Shinya was merely a potential obstacle.

But nothing and no one was going to keep Shogo's partner separated from him. "Makishima-san, please do not walk so closely to me," she abruptly said.

First thing he would have to work on was getting her used to him again. And then he would address her bad habit of calling him by his last name. _And I thought she would still call me Shogo like back then. _He thought regretfully with a shake of his head. "Well, Tsunemori-chan, if I stay too far, the handcuffs will chafe at my wrists, and it is quite painful," he replied.

Under her breath, Akane prayed that Yuki's spirit would forgive her for being near the sociopath that was Makishima Shogo.

He was a sociopath, everyone on the team knew. The one tidbit they didn't know was that he was, sadly, a sociopath that had certain rare romantic thoughts about Tsunemori Akane.

Up in heaven, Yuki looked down and silently rooted that Kogami Shinya would get her best friend's heart before her killer did.

"Hey, Yayoi. How much do you bet that Akane-chan's Psycho-Pass is going to remain the same even with that guy attached to her?" Kagari asked cheekily to ease the mood as he and the female Enforcer lagged behind the group a bit.

All he got in reply was a whack on the head and a muttered, "Five thousand yen that she's still okay by the end of the month. After all... her Psycho-Pass is one that I haven't ever seen before. It has never fluctuated, apparently."

"It's practically pure white."

"_Ever since I was born, my Psycho-Pass has always been a pure white." -Makishima Shogo_

"_Haha, my Hue barely changes, I suppose, because I'm so dense sometimes?" - Tsunemori Akane._

* * *

**Exile: Err... review?**

**Tell me what you think about it? If this made you ship ShoAka even more? Please look forward to the next chapter! **

**And Happy New Year's to you!**


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